Combined writing plate and price calculator



B. M. FRANK 2,871,582

COMBINED WRITING PLATE AND PRICE CALCULATOR Feb. 3, 1959 Filed Jan. 6, 1955 U/ U v 0 I 8 fi 0 5 A, .11 m a a n Ow W q a w w W B INVENTOR. BERNARD M. FRANK ijnited States PatentO" COMBINED WRITING PLATE AND I PRICE CALCULATOR Bernard M. Frank, Hollis, N. Y.

Application January 6, 1955, Serial No. 480,235

1 Claim. (Cl. 35-64) This invention relates to a device facilitating the computing of prices, distances, quantities, and the like.

The invention has particularly advantageous use as a device to be carried by a shopper, to permit one to easily compute the price of an article, when the totahweight in pounds and ounces and the price per pound is known. However, the device can be used for other purposes, when provided with suitable calibrations, as will be apparent from the following description.

Among important objects of the invention are to pro-- vide a simplified, inexpensive construction, which will permit the device, in some instances, to be capable of manufacture so cheaply as to be readily usable as an advertising device to be distributed complementarily to shoppers.

Another object is to provide 'a foldable construction whereby the device can be folded upon itself into a compact form to permit it to be stored away in ones purse.

Another object is to incorporate in the fold a spring hinge construction that will be exceedingly inexpensive.

Another object is to incorporate directly into the spring hinge construction means for holding removably a pencil to be used in making the computations.

Another object is to include inexpensive means for holding the folded portions in their collapsed or folded condition.

Another object is to incorporate, on one of the foldable portions, a window or similar surface on which one can make written computations, which surface can be erased with ease when rubbed with ones finger.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a form of the computer.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detail sectional view on lines 33 of Fig. 1, the dotted lines showing the position of the parts when folded.

In the illustrated example, the device is made mainly of heavy, stilt cardboard. However, it can be made of plastic, wood, or any other suitable material. Cardboard may be desired when the device is to be inscribed with suitable advertising and distributed as a complementary item to shoppers.

The device includes a base plate including a circular main portion and a tapered bottom extension 12 the lower end edge 14 of which is formed, medially between its ends, with a tongue 16 offset out of the main plane of the base plate as shown in Fig. 2.

Struck out of the material of the extension 12, adjacent opposite sides of the extension, are tabs 18, and engaged with said tabs are rubber bands 20.

2,371,582 Patented Feb. 3, 1959 ice A window support plate 22 has a rectangular, frosted window 24 of plastic or the like, on which one can write with a pencil P. At opposite sides of the window, adjacent the upper edge of the support plate 22, tabs 26 are struck out of the material of the support plate, and are aligned transversely of the abutting edges of the plates 10, 22 with the tabs 18. The rubber bands are engaged about the tabs 26, and thus it is seen that the tabs and rubber bands form a spring hinge. When the device is not in use, the plate 22 can be folded to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the band 2%) stretching resiliently as necessary to permit the folding of the plate 22 against the back of the plate 10. When,

however, the plate 22 is released, the bands 20, tending to contract, immediately swing the plate 22 to its use position in which it is coplanar with the plate 10. In its use position, the plate 22 is engaged by the tongue 16 to limit movement of the plate 22 beyond a'use position in which it is coplanar with the plate 10.

When plate 22 is folded against the back of base plate 10, a tab 28 struck out from the lower edge of the support plate is spaced a short distance from, and extends 0ppositely from, a tab 30 struck out of the material of the circular main portion of the base plate 10. A rubber band 32 is engaged about the tab 30, and when plate 22 dial 36 and through the inner end of a transparent index:

arm 38 having a hairline marking 40 extending longitudinally and centrally thereof. The rivet or grommet 34 is crimped against the arm 38 and base plate 10 with suflicient strength to frictionally engage the arm and the dial 36 in selected positions to which they are rotated about the grommet.

A stationary outer dial represented by the circular portion of base plate 10 has, at its periphery, circumferentially spaced numerical indicia A to which extend radial index markings or graduations. As shown in Fig. 1, this outer row of numerical indicia A of the stationary dial represents dollars and cents. There is an inner row of indicia B on the stationary outer dial, an outer row of indicia C on the periphery of the rotatable dial 36, and an inner row of indicia D on the dial 36.

Rows A and B represent dollars and cents. Row C represents pounds and row D represents ounces. Different colors could be used for the indicia of the different rows, of course, to facilitate reading of the same. It may be noted that the rotatable dial also has an arrow 42 permanently marked thereon. This arrow or pointer represents one pound or ten pounds, as the case may be.

It is to be understood that the dial 36 may also have two, three or more indicia designations for showing conversion of money in foreign exchange, and if desired the plate 22 may be connected to the base plate 10 by a grommet or the like and swung under the base plate, using the grommet as a pivot.

In use, one first rotates dial 36 to align the pointer or arrow marking 42 with the price per pound of the particular article. Then, the transparent indicator arm 38 is rotated so that the hairline is above the total poundage as indicated on the store scale. One now takes pencil P out of engagement with the rubber bands 20, and writes down on the window 24 the figure in row A or B which aligns with the poundage marking of row C to which the arm 38 was shifted.

Now, the indicator arm 38 is moved so that the hairline is above the ounces indicated on the store scale, the ounces being read in row D. Again, the money equivalent of row A or B is read and added to the amount previously recorded. The total will be the amount of money to be charged for a particular article, the total poundage and price per pound of which are known.

For example, assume that the price of an article is 85 cents per 1b. The weight of the article is 3 lbs., 6 oz. Arrow marking 42 is aligned withthe number 85 of row B. Now, the arm 38 is swung to register the hairline 40 with the number 3, signifying 3 lbs., in row C. This causes the hairline 40 to register with the number 25 /2 of row B, so the figure $2.55 is noted on the window 24. Now the arm 38 is moved to the number 6, signifying 6 oz., of row D, and the hairline 40 will be found to be in registration with the number 32 of row B. 32 cents is added to the $2.55, so that the total price is found to be $2.87. 7 i g It will be appreciated that various other forms of the invention are possible, as,'for example, it may be desired that the device not be of the foldable type in which event the hinge would be omitted. The pencil would be engaged, under these circumstances, in a flexible sleeve of leatherette or the like, stapled to the material of the base plate, this being a construction which would be particularly adapted for commercial use when the base plate is of wood. Many other variations, it is believed, might be employed, within the scope of the appended claim.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as A device of the kind described comprising a discshaped base plate for supporting calculating devices thereupon, a plate member below said base plate and forming new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 3 an extension thereof, said plate member having a surface for writing thereupon, hingemeans'of connection between the base plate and plate member, said means of connection including struck out tabs along the meeting edges of the base plate and plate member, rubber bands tensioned about the tabs, an outstruck tab on the base plate midway its ends, an outstruck tab on the plate member at its opposite edge, said last named tabs on the base plate and plate member being spaced closely apart when the plate member is folded about its hinge axis against the back of the base plate in order to receive a rubber band tensioned thereabout, and a tongue outsrtuck from the base plate and disposed in a plane oilset from the main plane of the base plate constituting an abutment for limiting movement of the plate member away from its folded position beyond a position in which it is coplanar with the base plate.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 381,703 'Kraetzer Apr. 24, 1888 736,481 Betts Aug. 12, 1903 922,465 Penn May 25, 1909 1,157,609 Backstrand et a1 Oct. 19, 1915 1,194,919 Wynne Aug. 15, 1916 1,346,930 Zion July 20, 1920 1,611,181 FOX Dec. 21, 1926 2,073,352 Scharlau Mar. 9, 1937 2,130,966 Ross Sept. 20, 1938 2,642,225 Lee June 16, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 328,140 Germany Oct. 23, 1920 4,423 Great Britain Oct. 11, 1881 of 1881 1 16,198 Great Britain 1911 23,705 Great Britain Oct. 16, 1909 of 1909 544,724 Great Britain Apr. 24, 1942 

